Nato defence ministers yesterday brushed aside European fears about escalating costs and agreed they could deploy eight military missions simultaneously around the globe, in a significant shift from previous cold war planning.

They endorsed plans for the 26-nation alliance to run six concurrent missions of up to 30,000 troops and two larger operations involving more than 60,000 personnel in total. They also confirmed they would increase the Nato peacekeeping force in Afghanistan to 17,000 from 9,000.

These bold moves came as the European commission flexed its diplomatic muscles, urging a more co-ordinated EU response to global issues and calling for the 25-member bloc to "punch its weight" in the world.

It wants next week's EU summit to approve proposals for Javier Solana, the foreign policy chief negotiator and designated foreign minister under the frozen constitution, to work more closely with heads of government and commissioners in planning strategy.

It also called for a nascent EU consular service and "double-hatting" of EU diplomats.

The shift in Nato planning came despite problems in persuading cash-strapped European allies to provide troops and specialist units for the new response force which, according to the defence secretary, Des Browne, is "key to our vision for the modern Nato, capable of mounting the full range of military missions".

With the US filling gaps left by its European allies, Britain said it would add six Jaguar attack planes and air-to-air refuelling planes to the response force which is scheduled to deploy 20,000 land, sea and airborne troops in crisis regions.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the commission president, meanwhile tried to fill the gap left in EU planning by the French and Dutch rejection of the constitution a year ago by calling for Europe to "assume its global responsibilities".

Mr Barroso, under pressure to halt EU enlargement after next week's summit agrees to admit Bulgaria and Romania in January, insisted he was not "cherry-picking" parts of the suspended new constitution. "Europe can do more to pull its weight in the world and has the means to do more ... we are the largest trading bloc and biggest aid donor in the world. The role of Europe is appreciated more outside Europe than within Europe itself," he said. He added: "We can do more to make it effective, coherent and visible."

Conceding that foreign policy would remain largely a national competence, he urged the 25 governments to "make an effort to pursue a common interest and approach" in policy areas such as energy and the environment, as well as in traditional areas such as trade.

Martin Schulz, leader of the socialist group of MEPs, said reforms to existing EU treaties were required in the absence of an agreed constitution before new countries could be admitted to the 27-member bloc. The commission is proposing that would-be members such as Croatia do not gain entry until 2010 at the earliest.

The Nato secretary-general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, told ministers, including Afghanistan's defence secretary, Abdul Rahim Wardak: "We are under no illusion that our future task will be easy. Challenges and dangers lie ahead."

He added: "I'll be blunt: more resources are urgently needed for reconstruction and development." He urged the UN, EU, G8 and others to pledge more aid for Afghanistan, where the Taliban have resumed suicide car bombings and other armed attacks on Nato troops and civilians in the south.